Vestibule system for railroad-cars.



E.H.SGHMIDT VESTIBULE SYSTEM PGR RAILROAD GARS.

APPLIOATIDN 'ILED DEG. 29, 1910.A

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

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E. H. SCHMIDT.

VBSTIBULE SYSTEM Pon RAILROAD GARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 29. 1910.

1,012,451 Patented Dec.19,1911.

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vBsTIBULB SYSTEM ron RAILROAD ons.

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Z'VENTOR am a WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOB. TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

VESTIBULE SYSTEM FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patenti.

Patented Dec. 19, 1911.

Application led December 29, 1910. Serial No. 599,982.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ERNEST H. SCHMIDT, of Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Chio, have invented a new and useful Vestibule System for Railroad-Cars, of which the followmg is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional plan vievsT of my improved vestibule system; Fig. 2 1s a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial plan view; and Fi 4 is a vertical sectional view on the lines If-IV of Fig. 3.

My invention relates to car vestibules used in connection with a radially swinging draft gear. In such constructions, the upper end of the vestibule face plate is spring-pressed forwardly in its different positions and the pivotal point of the spring pressure device is at a different point in the length of the car from that ofthe platform coupler and buffer. My invention is designed to compensate for this necessary difference in pivotal points, and insure the spring-pressed contact between the vestibule face plates and the closed passageway between the cars when on curves as well as on a straight track. In other words, my invention is designed to give substantially the same action as though the pivotal point of the spring pressure device and that of the platform buffer and coupler Were in the same vertical line. The chief difficulty in this arrangement lies in the fact that the pivotal point of the pressure device for the upper part of the vestibule face plate is necessarily much closer to the end of the car body than is the pivotal point of the coupler and buffer, and this difficulty I have overcome by special means hereafter described.

In the drawings, 2 represents the coupler, having a shank extension 3, which may be integral with the coupler shank or connected thereto, and which is pivotally connected to the car body, preferably near the bolster, with an interposed draft rigging. The pivotal point mav be either in front of or at the rear of the draft rigging, so that the draft rigging mav move longitudinally, and in the latter case may also swing laterally.

4 is the buffer, which is mounted on suitable carry irons to move radially with the coupler shank, and is connected to the coupler shank by devices including a carry iron 5 depending from the buii'er. The shocks delivered to this buffer are transmitted to certain radial segments, not shown.

The side portions of the vestibules comprise diaphragms 6, preferably formed of canvas, or other suitable material, the sections of the diaphragm being connected t0- gether at their margins by connecting strips of spring steel. At their rear edges these diaphragms are attached to vertical rods 7 hinged to the frame of the car at 8. The forward edges of the diaphragm are also connected to similar vertical rods 9, which are in like manner pivoted to brackets 10 secured to the face plate 11, which is in the general form of a door frame and is connected at the bottom to the buffer plate 12, the connection preferably being by horizontal pintles 34. The usual curtains 13 are provided, extending from the spring rollers 14 to the face plates. The top portion of the diaphragm frame is usually connected with the car frame by rods and springs, which would not provide for lateral movement to allow the diaphragm frame to coact properly with a radial draft gear system, and this is the particular portion which I have improved. When not coupled with another car the entire vestibule face plate normally has an outward inclination from the bottom toward the top to insure tight Contact with the opposing face plate of the adjacent car. This upper edge of the face plate is normally held forward by means of the spring arrangement shown, particularly in Figs. 3 and 4. To the upper, inner surface of the face plate 11 is secured the Bange 15 of a connecting plate 16, the rear upturned Harige 17 of which is provided with one member of a hinge 18, which receives the pin 19 and the hinged member 20 of the front follower 21 of the spring mechanism. To this follower is Secured the inner tube 22 of the telescoping device, which moves Within the surroundin tube 23, pivoted at its rear end to the car Iiody. This rear pivot consists of a socket member 24 secured to the end of the larger tube, the socket member having projecting rearwardly therefrom a rockin shoe 25. This rocking shoe is rovided with an elongated central longitudinal slot 26 and with side bearing portions 27 adapted to rock upon side fulcrum bearings 28 on the recessed bracket 29,

which receives the rocking shoe 25 within it. The socket member is thus loosely pivoted to the bracket while its swinging movements are altered by the side fulcrum bearings. The spring 30, which is normally under compression, bears at its front end against a stop on the follower Q0, while its rear end abuts against a thickened portion or stop 3l at the front end of the outer, larger tube 23. The inner tube is slotted as shown at 32, a transverse pin 33 in the outer tube extending through this slot, thus allowing a limited telescopic movement of the two tubes. This arrangement is such that upon rearward movement of the upper end of the vestibule face plate and diaphragm, the spring 30 will be compressed and will thereby offer resistance to such movement, thus insuring tight contact with the opposing face plate, and upon withdrawal of the opposing `face plate of the coupled car the spring will return the diaphragm plate to its normal forwardly inclined position, this forward movement being limited by the pin 33 reaching the rear end of the slot 32. Then the entire diaphragm swings laterally, being carried by the engagement of its lower end with the platform buffer, the telescoping tubes with their attached parts will swing radially therewith.

If the center of motion of the radially swinging coupler and platform buffer were in the same vertical line as the pivot pin of the top yielding pressure device, then the tubes with their attached parts would swing about this pivot with a true radial motion, but inasmuch as the center of motion of the coupler and buffer is far in rear of that of the tubes, I provide the side fulcrums as compensating means for changing the swinging movement so that it will approximate the swinging movement of the coupler and buffer. These additional fulcrums cause the tubes to be thrown forward longitudinally simultaneous with their lateral movement, as shown by dotted lines in the plan view of Fig. 3, so that they will follow the upper edge of the diaphragm as its lower portion swings in about the same arc as that through which the coupler and buffer travels. In other words, my arrangement for the yielding pressure device gives the telescopic spring rods and their attached parts approximately the same radial movement as they would have if they swung about a pivot point in the same vertical line with that of the coupler and buffer. The elon ated slot in the horizontal connection or the telescoping tubes allows these tubes to have the necessary arc of movement without becoming disengaged from the pivotal bracket.

Upon the same horizontal bolt 34 which pivots the face plate to the platform buffer are pivoted two holding members 35, one

of which is shown in Fig. 2, one of these being at each side of the center line of the car, and each having a short forwardly projecting hook portion 3G. These holding members, in addition to being pivoted on bolts 34, are further secured at their lower ends by bolts 37, which hold them in the locking position to secure the foot plate 38 in place. This foot plate has slots or apertures through which these hook portions project, and when it becomes necessary to remove the foot plate for any reason the bolts 37 are removed, after which the holding members 35 can be rotated about their pivots 34 by sliding the foot plate rearwardly until the hook portions of the members become disengaged therefrom. The plate can then be slid edgewisc forwardly again and removed. This construction allows a sliding removal of the foot plate, which cannot be lifted on account of the position of the vestibule diaphragm.

The advantages of my invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art, since a yielding pressure is maintained upon the top portion of the face plate in the radial movements of the face plate with the buffer and coupler; and a closed continuous passageway between the cars is secured whether they are upon a straight track or a curve.

Many changes may be made in the form and arrangement of the passageway, the radially swinging draft gear, and the upper telescopic tube system, without departing from my invention.

I claim 1. The combination with a vestibule car, of a radially swinging buffer, a vestibule face plate having its lower end connected with the buffer and swinging therewith, and a yieldin pressure device for the upper portion o the face plate, said pressure device being pivoted to the car at a point forward of the center of swing of the buffer, and means for shifting the pivotal center of said device to thereby vary its swinging movement; substantially as described.'

2. The combination with a vestibule car, of a radially swinging buffer, a vestibule face-plate having its lower end connected with the buffer and swinging therewith, a yielding pressure device for the upper portion of the face plate, said pressure device being pivoted to the car at a point forward of the center of swing of the buffer, and connections arranged to move the yielding pressure device forwardly when swung laterally with the buffer; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a car, of a radially swinging buffer, a diaphragm attached at the forward end to the buffer, and at its rear end held to the car body, a diaphragm face-plate movable radially with the buffer, and a yielding pressure device for the upper portion of the face plate arranged to swing about a plurality of different centers; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a laterally swinging buffer, of a vestibule having a frame attached to the buiier and diaphragms connected to the car body and the vestibule frame, said frame having an upper spring pressure device arranged to force it forwardly to a limited extent, said pressure device having a shiftable pivoted connection to the car body; substantially as described.

5. The combination with a laterally swinging buffer, of a vestibule having a frame attached to the buier and diaphragms connected to the car body and the vestibule frame, said frame having an upper spring pressure device arranged to force it for wardly to a limited extent, said pressure device being pivoted to the car body, and means for shifting the pivotal center of said pressure device; substantially as de scribed.

6. `In a vestibule car, a top pressure device for the vestibule face plate having its rear portion loosely pivoted to the car and provided with side fulcrums arranged to throw the pressure device' longitudinally during its swing; substantially as described.

7 In a vestibule car, a vestibule face plate having at its top portion a telescopic spring pressure device, said device having its rear portion pivoted to the car body forward of the center of movement of the swinging buffer, and connections arranged to vary the swing of the spring pressure device and bring it to approximately correspond with the swing of the radial buffer and thus maintain a closed passageway between the cars on curves; substantially as described.

8. In a vestibule car system, an upper yielding pressure device having a plurality of pivots, and also having mechanical connections whereby said device may swing about either one of its pivots to the exclusion of the others; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, uI have hereunto set my hand.

ERNEST H. SCHMIDT.

Witnesses:

HARRY E. Omi, F. W. SWENsToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

